Hi Everyone, am researching my mums family tree and her grandfather Albert John Highley was born in Cinderford in 1872, his parents were Mark Highley b.1842'ish Lydbrook, and Julia Highley (no maiden name at this point) born 1849'ish. Albert has a sister Margarett born 1875'ish a brother Henry born 1871 but had died before the next census. It is believed Mark Highley was a coal miner.
Any Highleys still in the area ? or relations that can also trace back to these names ? Many6 thanks Avalon

forgot to mention Julia's surname looks like being Butt - thanks

Just for Starters...

If you look under : Help - FAQ

and use the link to

Glos BMD Index

Thomas HIGHLEY - 1869 - mother's maiden name BUTT

Abel John HIGHLEY - 1872 - mother's maiden name BUTT

Margaret HIGHLEY - 1875 - ditto

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Ancestry has

Abel John HIGHLEY's (Uk, Railway Employment Records, 1833-1956)
Age: 29

Birth Date: 3 December 1872

Residence Date: 22 October 1902

Company: Great Western

Occupation: Carman

Absonded 22 October 1912

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Julie (aged 20 on the 1871 census) and 32 on the 1881 census, says, she was born Lea Bailey, Hereford

1861 Census,

Alton Street, Union Workhouse - Herefordshire, Ross

Julie BUTT - 9 - born Lea Bailey
Daniel BUTT - 7 - born Lea Bailey

GRO Index: Julie BUTT , Sept Qtr 1850, Ross etc - mother's maiden name : MANSELL

so far, can see a Charles Blase BUTT - 1848, Ross etc - mother's maiden name: MANSELL

Charles Blase BUTT - christened 4 June 1848, Walford by Ross: parents William and Eliz

1861 Census, Herefordshire, Weston Under Penyard

Keel/Reel House

Mary S WATKINS - Widow, 54 - born Eastdean Glos
Sarah B BUTT - 7 - Niece, born Ludlow, Shropshire
Charles BUTT - 13, - Nephew, Ag. Lab. born Walford, Herefordshire.

Another birth from Glos BMD:
Child Surname Child Forename Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
HIGHLY Henry Mark BUTT 1870 Forest of Dean Westbury on Severn, Newnham 32 220

and marriage of parents:
Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
HILEY John BUTT Julia Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office Closed 1867 6 44

FreeBMD has this entry:
Marriages Dec 1867
BUTT Julia Monmouth 11a 84
HILEY John Monmouth 11a 84
HILEY Mark Monmouth 11a 84

Mike

Hi Avolon, welcome to the forum.
I'm from Cinderford but don't recall ever seeing or reading the HIGHLEY / HIGHLY surname before, altho' BUTT and RUCK are less rare as far as I recall.

Have you searched this site's Parish Records database ?. (See dropdown menu under "Resources" in main toolbar).

There are actually abt 200 HIGHLEY PRs, the vast majority are western Forest especially Monmouth area.
Always worth searching this forum for prior threads, but in this case only a few mention the HIGHLEY name, and they seem to all be Monmouth area.
eg see https://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=8938

I can only see one Mark, he's also the only one in Cinderford, think he's yours;

Record_ID: 66360
Entry_Number: 309
Year: 1918
Month: May
Day: 2
Surname: HIGHLY
Forenames: Mark
Residence: Valley R[oa]d Cinderford
Age_at_death: 71
Officiating_Minister: F W Baldwin
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/15
Page_No: 39
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St John
Soundex: H240

(So born abt 1847).

https://forest-of-dean.net/joomla/index.php/parish-records-search

Searching FreeBMD, to my surprise there are only seven ! results for the whole UK, 1837 until now !!. All bar one are in Halifax West Yorkshire, so gives a suggestion the HIGHLEY surname may originate there ?? (lots coal mining there so quite possibly a link if true).

This is the only local hit, but is he your Mark, did he marry again late in life, or is it a son ??;

Surname First name(s) Mother/Spouse/Age District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1912 (>99%)
Brown Mary Highley Westbury S 6a 633
HIGHLEY Mark Brown Westbury S. 6a 633

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Using GlosBMD searching Mark Highley in 1912 can confirm;

Marriage Details
Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
HIGHLEY Mark BROWN Mary Forest of Dean Westbury-on-Severn (FoD) Register Office 1912 15 173
HIGHLEY Mark BRADLEY Mary Forest of Dean Westbury-on-Severn (FoD) Register Office 1912 15 173

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/SimpleSearch.aspx

So that's a good reason we didn't find this in the Church aka Parish Records, as was at the local Registry Office.
This record shows that this was the bride's second marriage, her maiden name at birth was Mary BRADLEY, her first husband was a BROWN.

Re-searching FreeBMD and then the FoD PRs show a great many more records for Mary Highleys thro the decades. Again mostly are in Halifax area, but this one looks like maybe our lady.

Record_ID: 67120
Entry_Number: 1068
Year: 1929
Month: Sep
Day: 4
Surname: HIGHLEY
Forenames: Mary
Residence: St John`s Square Cinderford
Age_at_death: 69
Officiating_Minister: A M Parr Curate
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/15
Page_No: 134
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St John
Soundex: H240

(So born abt 1860.)

Note the same Register Reference as for Mark's burial earlier, suggesting this maybe an actual Plot number in the graveyard.

Once again can search for her earlier marriage to a BRADLEY;

FreeBMD;
Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Jun 1893 (>99%)
Bradley Mary Westbury S. 6a 461
Brown Job Westbury S. 6a 461
Carter Albert Westbury S. 6a 461
Wintle Mary Jane Westbury S. 6a 461

GlosBMD confirms it's our specific area (W-o-S District covers all the eastern half of the Forest);

Marriage Details
Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
BROWN Job BRADLEY Mary Forest of Dean Cinderford St John the Evangelist 1893 2 491

FoD PRs give detail;

Record_ID: 32992
Entry_Number: 491
Year: 1893
Month: Apr
Day: 9
Grooms_Surname: BROWN
Grooms_Forenames: Job
Grooms_Age: 36
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Labourer
Grooms_Residence: Cinderford
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Brown
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: James
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Labourer
Brides_Surname: BRADLEY
Brides_Forenames: Mary
Brides_Age: 33
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Cinderford
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Bradley
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: John
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Labourer
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: W. Bradley
Witness_2: Alice Brown
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: W[illia]m Lynes Vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/5
Page_Number: 246
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St John
Soundex_Groom: B650
Soundex_Bride: B634

So Mary Bradley now Brown was born abt 1860, which perfectly matches the earlier Burial record, and she's "from" the Cinderford area like Mark.

Cannot find her Baptism in the PRs, but this seems to be her, again from FreeBMD & then GlosBMS confirming her mother's maiden name;

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Births Jun 1860 (>99%)
BRADLEY Mary Westbury on S 6a 177

Birth Details
Child Surname Child Forename Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
BRADLEY Mary REECE 1860 Forest of Dean Westbury on Severn, Newnham 20 281

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Husband Job Brown died in 1911, so a good fit for her second marriage to Mark Highley in late 1912.

Record_ID: 65892
Entry_Number: 1440
Year: 1911
Month: Jul
Day: 5
Surname: BROWN
Forenames: Job
Residence: St. Johns Tump Cinderford
Age_at_death: 54 years
Officiating_Minister: G. Watson Curate
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/14
Page_No: 181
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St John
Soundex: B650

Record_ID: 403834
Entry_Number: 716
Year: 1857
Month: May
Day: 2
Parents_Surname: BROWN
Child_Forenames: Job
Fathers_Forenames: James
Mothers_Forenames: Catherine
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Newnham
Occupation: Labourer
Officiating_Minister: E C Brice
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P228 IN 1/9
Page_Number: 90
Parish_Chapel: Newnham
Soundex: B650

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Least that's one theory re Mark Highley's later life, but it needs to be compared with the census info to see if I've got it right.
That would also prove, or not, if Mark was a miner. I've searched this site's Freeminer database but no luck there.

Wotyereckon Avalon ?

atb J

Oops, sorry, have only now and belatedly seen Mike Shepway's post, which offers another spelling ption I hadn't considered, HILEY.

Once again looking at the PRs shows this seems to be mainly a Monmouth and then Lydbrook name.

I do find this one HILEY record in the Freeminer database, he may be a relation ?. NB the majority of FoD miners were not registered Freeminers.

Record_Number: 3727
Forename: William Joseph
Surname: HILEY
Calculated Year of Birth: 1894
Age: 32
Day: 23
Month: Mar
Year: 1926
Residence: Upper Lydbrook
Remarks: Certificate of Birth produced
Memorandum:
Soundex: H400

However I'm still struggling to find a birth record in any of the previously used resources for Mark Hiley born abt 1842.

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Using Ancestry's free access, personal experience suggests best to use the earliest possible Census info when determining a birth year, as these things get muddied with time and even vanity on later census'. So I'd say Mark was actually born in or near Ruardean in abt 1845.

1851 Anchorberry, Lydbrook, Glos
Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth Place

John Highley Head 52 1799 Male Waterman. N/k, Monmouthshire, Wales
Elizabeth Highley Wife 44 1807 Female Reurdean, Gloucestershire, England
Thomas Highley Son 22 1829 Male Waterman. Reurdean, Gloucestershire, England
James Highley Son 16 1835 Male Waterman. Reurdean, Gloucestershire, England
Caroline Highley Daughter 11 1840 Female Scholar. English Bicknor, Gloucestershire, England
Louisa Highley Daughter 10 1841 Female Scholar. English Bicknor, Gloucestershire, England
Mark Highley Son 6 1845 Male Reurdean, Gloucestershire, England

It's very unusual to see trade of watermen, compared to say miners or woodsmen, in this side of the Forest especially in later years when the mining really took-off.

Anchorberry is nowadays known as Hangerberry - yet another case of the Vurrist dialect and literacy problems muddying things, especially for the Census officials. It's just west of Upper Lydbrook, looking over the Wye. You may find this 1879 Ordnance Survey map of interest, zoom-into the left-hand side. You can see it's not far from the Waterloo aka Arthur & Edward pit.
https://maps.nls.uk/view/101453361

This web page contains some nice old images of the area, and if you click on them individually they'll enlarge to give excellent detail.
https://thesingingoak.com/2018/06/30/james-william-george/

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By the next Census the family has moved a few miles south to Ellwood, near Parkend and Bream which were becoming hives of industry, sadly father John seems to have had to leave the river business for work.

1861 Elwood, West Dean, Glos
Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
John Heyley Head 61 1800 Male Labourer. Monmouth Monmouthshire Wales
Elizabeth Heyley Wife 53 1808 Female East Dean Gloucestershire England
Thomas Heyley Son 33 1828 Male Labourer. East Dean Gloucestershire England
Louisa Heyley Daughter 20 1841 Female East Dean Gloucestershire England
Mark Heyley Son 17 1844 Male Coalminer. East Dean Gloucestershire England

1841 Lydbrook, near Stowfield, English Bicknor Parish, Glos.
Given Name Surname Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
John Highley 45 1796 Male Waterman. Not born in county.
Elizabeth Highley 35 1806 Female Gloucestershire England
Thomas Highley 12 1829 Male Gloucestershire England
Isabella Highley 9 1832 Female Gloucestershire England
James Highley 7 1834 Male Gloucestershire England
Caroline Highley 2 1839 Female Gloucestershire England
Louisa Highley 3 Mo 1841 Female Gloucestershire England

Possible ?? marriage From this site's PRs;

Record_ID: 438
Entry_Number: 100
Year: 1825
Month: Dec
Day: 10
Grooms_Surname: HYLEY
Grooms_Forenames: John
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: the Hundred of St. Briavels
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: COLE
Brides_Forenames: Elizabeth
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Hundred of St. Briavels
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both mark
Witness_1: Mark of Benjamin Brokshaw[?]
Witness_2: Mark of Mary Brokshaw[?]
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Cha[rle]s M. Dighton
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P1 IN 1/9
Page_Number: 34
Parish_Chapel: Abenhall
Soundex_Groom: H400
Soundex_Bride: C400

There are 8 more "HYLEY" PRs that may well be related to this family.

???

The following Baptism appears on Mongenes

Parish or Chapel Maindee St Johns
Date 12 Mar 1890
Parent's Surname HIGHLEY
Child's forename(s) Margaret
Father's forename(s) Mark
Mother's forename(s) Julia
Mother's surname (if different)
Type of Event Baptism
Residence 4 Phillip Street
(Father's) Occupation Labourer
Officiating Minister James Swinnerton, Vicar
Memoranda in register G.M. Born 1st July 1864
Transcriber's Notes G.M. Initials in Margin
Gwent record office
register ref. number LDS/PA 58
Parish register entry no. 823
Parish register page no. 103
Record_ID 245766
Transcription St Johns Maindee Baptisms 1888-1891
Transcribers entry no. 231

I suspect the year of birth should read 1875 but occasionally when we see an adult baptism a marriage soon follows and we find this:
Marriages Dec 1891
Highly Margaret Newport, M. 11a 443
Watkins Albert John Newport, M. 11a 443

and this is the family in 1901 at Breams Eaves:
Household Number Name Relation to Head Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth Place
20 Albert J Watkins Head 29 1872 Male Coleford, Gloucestershire, England
20 Margaret Watkins Wife 26 1875 Female Lane End, Gloucestershire, England
20 Lilian E Watkins Daughter 8 1893 Female Cwmcarn, Monmouthshire, Wales
20 Rose Watkins Daughter 5 1896 Female Cwmcarn, Monmouthshire, Wales
20 Bertha Watkins Daughter 3 1898 Female Cwmcarn, Monmouthshire, Wales
20 Thomas M Watkins Son 2 1899 Male Bream, Gloucestershire, England
20 Albert H Watkins Son 1 1900 Male Bream, Gloucestershire, England

The Mongenes database tells us that Lilian Eliza Watkins was baptised on 23 November 1892 at Mynyddislwyn

There are a number of entries in the Mongenes database for Highley.

Mike